Triton Results Questions

[Jimbo]

Here are the results of my first Triton test on my 8 month old SPS dominant 93 cube. I use Red Sea blue bucket salt. 10 gallon a week water change.

Aluminum I believe is high due to the Marinepure 8x8x4 block I use.
Magnesium was testing at 1400 on my Salifert kit. Red Sea is low in Mag. So a couple of water changes should take care of the high number there

Lithium I've read tests high on a lot of these tests for some reason

Iodine I've been dosing 4 drops of Lugols weekly , I'll cut that out.

Kind of surprised at the 0 phosphate result.

Is the high Chromium and Barium a concern? Anything else of concern?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I wouldn't worry about the chromium. It is a bit over NSW levels (0.3 ug/L) but I see little reason to worry.

In my experiments, aluminum became a problem at 500 ug/L but didn't show any immediate effect at 50 ug/L, so it may be OK.

I would not worry about lithium. I don't think it is very toxic and your elevation is much less than some folks see.

Are you using GFO? I've heard it reported that some types of GFO release barium. It too is likely not a problem at that level.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

You say a 10 gallon water change per week? Do you use any additives? Which foods do you feed?
Love to see Triton results to figure out which products have what in them.

 

[Jimbo]

I wouldn't worry about the chromium. It is a bit over NSW levels (0.3 ug/L) but I see little reason to worry.

In my experiments, aluminum became a problem at 500 ug/L but didn't show any immediate effect at 50 ug/L, so it may be OK.

I would not worry about lithium. I don't think it is very toxic and your elevation is much less than some folks see.

Are you using GFO? I've heard it reported that some types of GFO release barium. It too is likely not a problem at that level.

Thanks Randy I appreciate the reply. I do use BRS regular GFO, I run it passively in a bag in the sump. I just removed it due to the 0 phosphate issue.

The Marinepure block is most likely the source of the Al but I'd rather not remove it, glad it's lower than you've seen problems at. I've read that it mainly affects soft corals of which I only have a colony of Zoa's and a Paly colony which are doing fine.

 

[Jimbo]

You say a 10 gallon water change per week? Do you use any additives? Which foods do you feed?
Love to see Triton results to figure out which products have what in them.

Yes, 10 gallons a week using Red Sea Blue bucket. I dose B-ionic 2 part. I dose Acropower daily. Iron and iodine weekly. I'm cutting out the iodine due to the slightly raised levels although I did just dose the day I took the water samples, not sure if that's why it tested high.

I feed Hikari Frozen Mysis , LRS Fish Frenzy, Spectrum Pellets and Nori for the fish. Reef Chili, Reef Roids for the corals

 

[Jimbo]

Opened a brand new Salifert Magnesium test kit today. Got a result of 1350 which was very close to my old kit.

I've always found the Salifert Magnesium kit to be pretty accurate. Triton tested at 1548 but I use Red Sea blue that is pretty low in mag.

I have a batch of new salt water mixing now, going to try the Magnesium test on it and see if it's close to what the bucket says .

 

[Jimbo]

New saltwater tested at 1220 at 1.026 SG . Kit is pretty close to dead on. Wonder why such a large discrepancy in magnesium results?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

New saltwater tested at 1220 at 1.026 SG . Kit is pretty close to dead on. Wonder why such a large discrepancy in magnesium results?

Hard to know...Luckily, it is fairly forgiving.

 

[Jimbo]

I thought I'd do a Triton test while the tank was doing well so I'd have something to compare to if I ever experienced problems.

Not sure what to do about Mag now. I usually dose the new saltwater with BRS Magnesium and bring it up to 1350 before doing a water change. Does Triton trump all other results? Are they much more accurate than the hobbyist kits?

Seems to me I have just one more erroneous test result and have to decide how much faith to put into it. Do I go with Triton and make changes? Stay with the Salifert which tells me I'm where I want to be? Decisions, decisions...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I thought I'd do a Triton test while the tank was doing well so I'd have something to compare to if I ever experienced problems.

Not sure what to do about Mag now. I usually dose the new saltwater with BRS Magnesium and bring it up to 1350 before doing a water change. Does Triton trump all other results? Are they much more accurate than the hobbyist kits?

Seems to me I have just one more erroneous test result and have to decide how much faith to put into it. Do I go with Triton and make changes? Stay with the Salifert which tells me I'm where I want to be? Decisions, decisions...

Any method can lead to a wrong answer on occasion, but for routine tests, I'd believe Triton over a single kit result.

 

[Nano sapiens]

FYI - I had similar Mg results a while back with Triton (1532) vs. two Salifert kits (1325 & 1330). I now keep my tank at around 1275-1300.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FYI - I had similar Mg results a while back with Triton (1532) vs. two Salifert kits (1325 & 1330). I now keep my tank at around 1275-1300.

With that number (1275-1300) based on the Triton or Salifert results?

 

[Nano sapiens]

With that number (1275-1300) based on the Triton or Salifert results?

Salifert. I'm more inclined to believe the Salifert numbers as they are closer to the salt manufacturers' specs when I test newly made up salt water.

As long as I am at least at, or a bit above NSW, that's fine with me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As long as I am at least at, or a bit above NSW, that's fine with me.

Yes, that's a good plan, IMO.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Yes, that's a good plan, IMO.

Using Salifert kits, I've had my tank run Mg from a low of 1200 to a high of 1350 over the years and I haven't noticed any difference in the system between these highs and lows.

 

[Jimbo]

FYI - I had similar Mg results a while back with Triton (1532) vs. two Salifert kits (1325 & 1330). I now keep my tank at around 1275-1300.

That's a good idea, think I'll do the same. Rather be low than high as I had an issue in another tank with high mag causing SPS problems.

On the bright side my Hanna ULR checker is dead on, testing 0. Good to know that.

I removed the bag of GFO I had in the sump. Increasing feeding and dosing amino acids. I'm assuming that removing the GFO should raise my PO4 relatively quickly?

Also the reading of Na of 10357.00 mg/l What is that in Specific Gravity?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Also the reading of Na of 10357.00 mg/l What is that in Specific Gravity?

You cannot translate from sodium alone to specific gravity, but if everything else was proportionally at NSW ratios, the salinity would be 33.6 ppt and the sg would be 1.0253.

 

[JimWelsh]

You cannot translate from sodium alone to specific gravity, but if everything else was proportionally at NSW ratios, the salinity would be 33.6 ppt and the sg would be 1.0253.

Plugging the Macro Element numbers into the spreadsheet I've previously uploaded, I get a salinity of 34.32 from these Triton results.